Newmarket's Glenway development not needed: residents

The numbers show the proposed Glenway development isn’t needed to meet a provincial growth target.
Newmarket has a population of 85,000 and the Places to Grow Act expects that number to grow to 98,000 by 2026, meaning the town needs to have room for about 13,000 new people, according to Ward 7 Councillor Chris Emanuel.
The town’s official plan and secondary official plan designates housing in the northwest, southeast and other periodic areas in town will accommodate 7,000 people, leaving the town with 6,000 people for whom to find room. That growth is to be accommodated along the Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors, which will, in turn, support the rapid transit system currently under construction.
The Slessor Square development is expected to provide accommodation for 1,300 people, the two buildings approved at the corner of Yonge and Davis will yield living space for 1,150 and buildings proposed at Yonge and Millard Avenue will house another 700 people.
“Just three parcels (of land) get us halfway there and we’re being told we need help to hit our target,” he said. “I’m sorry, but the numbers just tell a different story.”
Newmarket residents want town council to stick to its official plan when it comes to the proposed Glenway development.
More than 600 people turned out for a public planning meeting last night, with 400 packing the Newmarket Theatre seats and the rest watching the meeting on a big screen in an overflow room at Newmarket High School.
The message from residents and the Glenway Preservation Association was clear — it’s an application that doesn’t fit with the town’s official plan and should be rejected.
“We really don’t need this development to meet our growth target,” association president Ron Kassies said.
He continued to express concern over the application being too vague.
For example, traffic studies estimate an additional 20,000 cars being added to the area through the development, but there’s no concise traffic strategy and the application states the need to redesign stormwater management ponds, but doesn’t lay out a full picture of how drainage will be accommodated.
Mr. Kassies questioned if the developer would work with the school board to provide land for another elementary school and if the town could afford the sewer allocation the development would require, not to mention the loss of greenspace.
“There has been manipulation with the residents, with the developer using a divide and conquer strategy, meeting with some residents and leaving others in the dark,” he said. “They are only going through the motions when it comes to public consultation and are relying on a positive (Ontario Municipal Board) ruling.”
A number of residents expressed other concerns, including the way they have been treated by the developer, density, loss of greenspace, the impact on wildlife, lack of details and infrastructure costs associated with the development increasing taxes.
Marianneville Development Limited planning consultant Richard Zelinka presented the draft plan of the subdivision to accommodate 292 apartments, 219 townhomes, 54 one-storey homes, 165 detached homes, a commercial block and land for stormwater management and parks within the development, which requires an official plan and zoning amendments.
However, he insisted the proposed development falls in line with the town’s official plan.
Questions were not answered at the meeting, as residents were informed concerns would be addressed in writing through the municipality.
Ward 4 Councillor Tom Hempen asked what changes had been made to the proposed application since hearing the resident’s concerns.
“The numbers, if changed at all, haven’t been significant,” Ms Barnett replied.
But she agreed to include any changes in the report coming to council.
The comments will be used by staff in a report that will be presented to council.